Woman Injured in Solo Accident
A solo car accident resulted in major injuries and backed up traffic near Red Bluff on Friday, October 13.
What Happened?
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to a car accident on Interstate 5 late Friday morning. Upon arrival, they found a GMC Yukon rolled over in a ditch. At 10:30 a.m. 36-year-old Laticia Sanchez, from Red Bluff, was driving northbound on I-5 when her vehicle veered off the freeway and into a ditch which caused the car to roll one or more times.
The accident occurred just north of the Herbert S Miles Safety Rest Stop. By 11 a.m. traffic along I-5 was backed up about a mile to Jellys Ferry Road and by 11:30 a.m. it was backed up another 2.5 miles to the Main Street on-ramp in Red Bluff. This delay of northbound traffic lasted over an hour while emergency teams attended to the injured motorists and cleared the scene of the car accident.
The 2 occupants in the Yukon, Sanchez and another unidentified individual were trapped in the SUV and awaited rescue personnel for extraction. Sanchez was rushed to Mercy Medical Center in Redding for treatment of major injuries including a broken arm and shoulder injuries. The second occupant’s injuries were not listed in the report.
Fractures in the Arm
Fractures in the bones of the arm are usually not to be considered life-threatening. Often-times the bone is stabilized until it can be set by a doctor in an emergency room, but it is not a priority case. The location of the fracture plays a big part in whether or not it is life-threatening.
11-16% of fractures that occur in the middle of the humerus (bone of the upper arm) also result in radial nerve damage. The radial nerve lies along the backside of the humerus and almost comes in contact with the bone. In a fracture event, the sharp edges of the broken bone can damage or sever this nerve very easily. The radial nerve supplies impulses to all the muscles of the forearm and the back of the arm, as well as skin sensation to these areas and the hand. Damage to this nerve would cause loss of strength or movement of these regions as well as the inability to feel anything in the places it innervates.
The brachial and radial collateral arteries also run along the humerus on the right and left sides of the shaft of the bone. Damage to the arterial walls can cause massive bleeding, especially if the break is severe enough to tear through the skin, letting the blood flow outwards. If damaged enough, the bleeding of the brachial artery can cause death if it is not stopped. In severe cases, a tourniquet can be used to stop the bleeding by totally cutting off the blood supply to the arm, but this is reserved for worst-case-scenarios as it can require amputation if applied too long.
Related Articles by Red Bluff Car Accident Lawyer, Ed Smith:
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- Car Flew off I-5 near Yreka
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Red Bluff Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Lawyer in Red Bluff. Have you or someone you care about been injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another person? If you need an injury lawyer, please call me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice with no obligation. I have helped people from Red Bluff and all over Northern California recover their losses after accidents for over 35 years. Look at my verdicts and settlements page to see how I have succeeded for past clients.
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